Monday, October 29, 2012

IT´S MONDAY! WHAT ARE YOU READING?


hosted by Book Journey.

So last week I started and finished Awaken by Kristen Day and also started Night Circus. Still reading Night Circus, but I´ve enjoyed it so far. I feel a little expectant of what´s to happen in it.. After I finish it I will start reading a series that I´m quite excited about! Here´s what they look like:

Thomas Winship : The Evolutionary War series


Vaempires: Revolution (The Evolutionary War, Book One)Vaempires: A white Christmas: A prelude to the Evolutionary WarVaempires: Zombie Rising


Saturday, October 27, 2012

ZANE TOUR - Guest Post & Excerpt




Book Title: Zane

Series Title: The McKades of Texas
Book Number in Series: #1
Genre: Western Contemporary Romance
Book Content: Curse words used throughout entire novel, mild violence and some sexual situations (not recommended for readers under the age of 18)


Synopsis of Zane:

Kellan Anderson is in hillbilly hell—or at least that’s what it feels like. After enduring endless accounts of abuse from her now ex-boyfriend, Kellan makes a run for her life and finds herself in cowboy country. Leaving her fancy clothes and expensive lifestyle behind her, she trades in her high heels for cowboy boots and changes her name to Andi Ford. With her painful past threatening to catch up with her, hiding out in this small town seems easy enough – until one blonde hair, blue eyed cowboy steps in the picture.
Zane McKade has sworn off women, determining that they are all liars and cheats—including the new waitress at the local bar. After a rather unpleasant first encounter with the beautiful brunette, Zane’s radar is set to high as he believes this woman is not who she claims to be. When his intimidation methods fail to break through Andi’s barrier he decides to turn on the charm to get her to tell the truth. But Zane’s plan begins to backfire as the more time he spends charming Andi, the more he finds himself breaking his own rules and falling for her.

Book Link:
*Zane is currently only available in ebook format*


Author Links:

Twitter: @klewisnovels
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/978131.Kimberly_Lewis




Excerpt from Zane:


Kellan saw the man coming her way and a nervous feeling began to grow in the pit of her stomach. She hadn’t noticed it when he rode up, but he was incrediblygood looking. The man had to be a least six two, with long muscular legs leading up to narrow hips that angled into a very masculine upper body. He looked like an athlete. He looked…solid. And although his pale blue shirt was soaked with sweat, it somehow added to his overall appeal. He stopped at her table and glared at her. Only then did she realize that this man was not coming over for friendly chit-chat and her mood shifted.
“Is that your red sports car out there?” Zane asked, tilting his head and jerking his thumb towards the parking lot.
“Yes,” Kellan told him. What’s it to you? She stared up at him, waiting for him to continue. But when he just stared back, his deep blue eyes shooting daggers at her, she decided enough was enough. “Is there something I can help you with?”
Zane’s jaw flexed. “You could have four miles ago.”
“What?” She was utterly confused as to what mileage had to do with his apparent anger towards her.
“I don’t look familiar to you?” He stared at her, his eyebrows coming together in frustration.
She looked the man over from head to toe. “No, I’m sorry you don’t.”
Zane let out an exasperated sigh. “How about now?” He raised his arms above his head and waved them just like he had done when he was trying to flag her down.
He looked completely ridiculous and she fought back the urge to laugh at him. But the more she looked at him she realized that he did look strangely familiar. Oh my… He was the man on the side of the road next to the pickup truck just outside of town.
“Oh,” Kellan said. “Yes, I do remember you now. I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you with your shirt on.” She loaded her voice with sarcasm and crossed her arms over her chest. If he was going to have an attitude with her, then she was going to give it right back.
Zane’s eyes narrowed. “Well, would you care to explain why you just blew past me like that?”
Kellan laughed, quietly as to not draw attention. “Why did I blow past you? Hmm, let me think. Um, maybe it has to do with the fact that you were partially naked and in the middle of nowhere.”
Well damn. He hadn’t thought about that. He’d been all riled up thinking that some guy just ignored him. Now, thinking about it from her perspective, he could see why she didn’t pull over to help him. As it was though, his built up anger from everything that had transpired today got the best of him and he continued with his rant.
“I was not half naked,” he said, his voice low as he briefly glanced around the room to see if anyone could hear them speaking.
“Look, cowboy.” She said the word as though it were an insult and not an affirmation of what he obviously was. “I’m sorry you’re having a bad day, but don’t come over here and take it out on me. I had a good reason for not stopping earlier and I’m not going to apologize for looking after my own safety. You could’ve been a murderer for all I knew.”
Zane knew that he should just man up and walk away, but he just couldn’t do that now after her snarky “cowboy” remark. Why’d she have to go and say it like that anyway?
“Look, princess,” he said with the same tone she had used. “This ain’t Hollywood. Take your sunglasses off. You’re inside and you look like a damn fool.”
Kellan’s jaw fell in disbelief.
Zane smiled, feeling triumphant that he got in the last word. He turned and started to walk away from her.
“Screw you, cowboy!” she yelled after him, saying the word exactly as she had before. “And that horse you rode in on.”
And—Whoops!—now everyone in the diner had turned to look at them.
Zane turned around to face her with amusement on his face. “Very original, princess.”



About the Author:

In November of 2011, author Kimberly Lewis stepped into the writing world with her first original western contemporary romance novel, When the Heart Falls.

Born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, this country girl at heart caught the creative bug at an early age, doing everything from drawing to writing short stories. 

After the birth of her son, Kimberly found the inspiration to pick up a pen, or in this case a laptop, and began writing her first novel. Since then she has continued to write and credits her husband, Rob, and her wonderfully crazy family, who with their love and joking demeanor provide her with the ideas that inspire her novels. 

In her spare time she enjoys reading, horseback riding, and spending time with her amazing family.




Why I Love Reading and Writing Western Romance by Kimberly Lewis


I’m always amazed by the sheer volume of different sub-genres there are for romance—and it seems to be growing all the time. You’ve got your paranormal romances with vampires, werewolves and shape-shifters, your historical romances with Dukes, Lords and Ladies, your contemporaries with firemen, policemen, navy seals and your average Joe’s. The list goes on and on. But I’m not here today to talk about all of those—even though I’m a fan of those novels as well. I’m here to tell you why western romances are my thing. Making a list of reasons seems the perfect way to do this—so let’s begin, shall we?
1.       “I’m from the country and I like it that way.”
Yes I’m quoting a Tracy Byrd song and, although it’s not my own original thought, it’s the lyrics to this song that describe why I love  my country lifestyle so much.

“Everybody knows everybody. Everybody calls you friend. You don’t need an invitation, kick of your shoes, come on in. Yeah, we know how to work and we know how to play. We’re from the country and we like it that way.”
Every western romance I’ve read has that element of down home, hospitality that I grew up with and adore. So that’s one of the main reasons why I’m so drawn to the genre.
2.       Laid back, Casual Romance.
Keep it simple—that’s the motto. In western romances we don’t need romantic trips to Paris, or fancy nights out on the town. Glitz and glamour are not needed here. Give us a quiet night cuddled up on a blanket beneath the stars or take us horseback riding on a cool summer day—we aren’t picky.

3.       Gotta love a man who works hard for a livin’.
Ninety-nine percent of western romances revolve around ranch life. And what happens on ranches? You work from sun up to sun down to make a living for yourself and your family. Occasionally you’ll get that western romance with the million dollar cowboy who doesn’t have to lift a finger to make his money, but I much rather prefer a hardworking man who isn’t afraid to get a little dirty, get a little sweaty...maybe so sweaty that he’d have to take his shirt off....

Hmm? I’m sorry, what were we talking about? Oh right! Why I love western romances:-)

4.       Let’s just go ahead and say it, Cowboys are HOT!
Everyone woman in this world has a “type” that they go for. While your type may be a super hot fireman, or an alpha shape-shifter that fights with his animal instincts, or a hundred year old vampire with a soul, my type is a sexy as sin cowboy. There is just something about a man who has the strength to tame a thousand pound wild animal yet reveal a completely softer side to the woman he loves. Plus we can’t forget that all those hard hours put into working on the ranch leads to hard, toned muscles that all of us love our fantasy men to have :-)

Okay, so those are just a few of the reasons why I love reading and writing western romances. What’s your favorite genre and what about it draws you in?

STACKING THE SHELVES

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(join at Tynga's Reviews.)

for week 43

To review:
Thoughtless (Thoughtless, #1)

And that´s it for this week! I´m sure there could be more, but I have stopped buying books for a little while because I just have so many I haven´t read and reviewed! And because Christmas is near, which is always a good book time for me so I know I´ll get some more soon.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

BOOK REVIEW - Stealing Breath

Stealing Breath (Stealing Breath, #1)Stealing Breath
by Joanne Brothwell
(series: Stealing Breath #1)
Originally published 2012
Published by Crescent Moon Press
Paranormal, Romance

4 stars

Sarah runs the family business as a store manager of a sports equipment store while waiting to start college. She has found she has these abilities, feeling other peoples´ emotions and somehow she succeeds in fighting off a being not quite like man. While struggling to understand herself she finds herself trying to understand this new man in town as well. And his mysterious brother..

Quite a quick read! Something I did not expect was the steamy stuff going on, so a little warning is in place: the book does have adult content, sexual that is. The story got me quite excited, the paranormal plot felt like a mix of paranormal and mythological (not really sure if mythology is the correct word to describe what I mean). A different and new kind of background to a story than any I´ve read before!

This one is yet another series that I need to read more about! And the name, that is just such a good name! A lot of the paranormal going on was really interesting, but most of all I really liked the romance (and the steaminess). I think it was quite close to a five star read, maybe if the paranormal plot woul´ve been put together into a whole a little more clearly it would´ve been exactly that, a five star read. Little things made me just a little lost, but maybe too much revealed would´ve spoiled it and I need to read the second to get the biggerer picture :)

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

AS I CLOSE MY EYES TOUR - Guest Post



As I Close My Eyes
Book #1
Genre: historical YA with a time travel twist

Book Description:

You know you are alive, but what if you are dead?

Danielle Grayson is a beautiful, intelligent young woman in present-day Georgia, but when she closes her eyes, she becomes someone else in a different time, one hundred years earlier in fact.

Danielle's other life is as entrancing and romantic as her current one, and the contrast between the lifestyles is intriguing and enlightening (they didn't have iPods in 19th century USA, apparently), but what starts out as being dreamlike soon becomes real and strangely familiar.

Worse, whatever happens to her as Danielle seems to change the past, if it is a true past.

And when she finds she is not alone in being able to flip between the two worlds, life, love and death become really disturbing.

Available from Amazon.com - here
Available from Kindle - here 




Guest Post
Sarah DiCello

An Interview with My Main Characters, Dani and Ben

Author of the young adult novel, As I Close My Eyes, Sarah DiCello, sits down with Danielle Grayson and Benjamin Sheffield to discuss their instant attraction and where their relationship stands today.

SD: Dani, some of the questions I’ve received from readers are how your relationship grew so quickly and what it felt like for you to have such an intense draw towards Ben when you first saw him in the restaurant in Tallulah Falls. Can you talk about that briefly?

Dani: It was surreal. He walked into the restaurant when Shannon and I were just sitting down for dinner and time stopped. I wanted to leap up out of my chair and run to him. If he thinks I’m a nutcase now he definitely would have thought I was insane if I did anything like that. I tried to stay engaged in conversation with Shannon but I couldn’t take my eyes off him. You know that feeling when you pass someone on the street and you feel like you’ve met them before but you can’t place where? That’s kind of what it was like for me. I knew I had met him before I just didn’t know that our connection ran much deeper than I ever imagined. I thought I was going crazy.

SD: Ben, you said that you noticed her in the restaurant as well. Did you feel that same instant connection?

Ben: I’m afraid she’s going to hit me when I say this but no. I thought she was absolutely the most beautiful woman I had ever seen despite her very swollen nose and bruised face. I wanted to go over to her and ask her what happened. I assumed someone hit her and I couldn’t imagine anyone hurting someone so beautiful. I could sense her staring at me while we were eating dinner but I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by staring back. Plus, the woman I was with wouldn’t have appreciated it.

SD: Here’s another question for you, Ben. After learning about Dani’s dreams, how did you deal with helping her through the discovery of what they actually were? You seemed so supportive through everything. More so than other men would be I think.

Ben: Yeah, it all sounded so unbelievable to me at first but after watching her slip away with my own eyes, I knew she couldn’t control it. Plus, I felt some sort of strange connection to her as well. Our relationship developed so quickly but I think that’s because of the nature of our past. I had to stand by her. I couldn’t let her do this alone.

SD: It’s obvious that you both have an intense romantic relationship. Do you still feel so passionate for one another?
Dani: I know I do and I think Ben does too. We’re just really attracted to one another. I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Ben: Dani’s the love of my life. I just wish I could help her more with the dreams. We just want to understand why this is all happening to her.

SD: Speaking of the dreams. Dani, were you scared the first time you started dreaming about Cape May?

Dani: Not really. I just thought they were dreams and nothing more when they first started happening. After a few of them I really started to anticipate going to sleep at night so I could see Robert and experience the Victorian era through Caroline’s eyes. I feel pretty lucky that I get to do something no one else I know can. After a few months more interesting things have happened since I last saw Cape May and I finally feel like I’m on the path to discovering why.

SD: Can you talk about the things you’ve seen recently?

Dani: You’ll just have to wait for the sequel around Christmas of this year.

SD: So you’re going to hold us in suspense for a little more just to torture us?

Dani: Yup.

SD: Well this has been an absolute pleasure to talk with both of you. All of your fans can’t wait to see what happens in the second book.


A note from Sarah DiCello: About a week ago I had the idea to create a Pinterest page for my book with photos of the characters and scenes from As I Close My Eyes. If you’d like to have a visual of the characters interviewed, go to http://pinterest.com/sdicello/as-i-close-my-eyes to see the board.

You can also find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sarahdicelloauthor or on my blog at www.sarahdicello.blogspot.com. My Twitter account is @sdicello.







About the Author:
Sarah DiCello is new to Taylor Street.
She writes fantasy / romance.
She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs. She graduated from Shippensburg University with a degree in Communications/Journalism.
This is her first novel. Look for the sequel to "As I Close My Eyes" Christmas 2012.





Monday, October 22, 2012

IT´S MONDAY! WHAT ARE YOU READING?


hosted by Book Journey.

Oops I skipped this one last week! No matter, here´s what I am reading right now:

Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

This is for a "TBR Twin". I have heard good things about, hope I like it like other do!

Awaken (Daughters of the Sea #2) by Kristen Day

I´m reading this for a book tour coming on my blog in November. I loved the first of this series so am very excited to get to read more!

If I have extra time I might start reading:

Embrace by Cherie Colyer

Which is also for a virtual book tour, I have no idea what to expect of it yet!

The Night CircusAwaken (Daughters of the Sea, #2)Embrace

Saturday, October 20, 2012

BOOK REVIEW - Phantom

PhantomPhantom
by Laura DeLuca
Originally published 2012
Published by Pagan Writers Press
YA, Romance, Thriller

4 stars

Rebecca has always loved the story of Phantom of the Opera, so she has to try to get a role in the school play. She does not usually do things like that, and as she does something new to her, strange new things start happening all around her as well. And around the two guys trying to get her attention. For someone is playing a true life phantom of the opera..

I started reading this and felt that I got immediately into the story. Also I had to borrow the movie Phantom of the Opera and watch it. Anyway I really liked this book, but what about it?

For a long while I liked it for the romance aspects in it and the main characters experiences doing something she had not done before. I liked it all the while, but I really enjoyed the last chapters, about 50 pages or so, of it! Then I started to feel quite excited about the other stuff. I put in thriller as one genre, though I´m not sure if it´s the best to describe the book. But I had to add more than just ya and romance. The last chapters had something quite dreadful in there, but in a good way! And the different kind of male character definitely worked for me. This was one of those books you have to hurry to finish!

STACKING THE SHELVES

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(join at Tynga's Reviews.)

for week 42

Purchased:
Taken at Dusk (Shadow Falls, #3)Whispers at Moonrise (Shadow Falls, #4)

Free from Amazon:
Creating Fate (Unspun, #1)The Deepest Cut (MacKinnon Curse, #1)

To review, thanks to Netgalley:
Undeadly (The Reaper Diaries, #1)

Thursday, October 18, 2012

STEALING BREATH TOUR






 Stealing Breath

Publication date March 9, 2012
Genre Paranormal Romance
Specs 256 pages, trade paper, e-book

An ancient evil has resurfaced,
the soul of the Indigo Child is at stake.
Beware those with the Stealing Breath...

Deep in the backwoods of North Dakota, Sarah Ross is searching for a missing child when she is attacked by a glowing-eyed, transparent creature known to the Navajo as a Skinwalker. Using mysterious abilities, Sarah escapes, only to run directly into Evan Valente, a handsome, charismatic stranger who helps her back to safety. But why is Evan out in the forest so early in the morning?

Sarah learns her eyes bear the mark of the Indigo Child, an evolved human with the ability to feel the emotions of others; unfortunately, her indigo aura is highly desirable to those who wish to steal her powerful essence.

Soon, Sarah falls deeply in love with Evan and wants nothing more than to follow her heart, but she can't ignore the lingering feeling that Evan is hiding a terrible secret. The deeper she digs, the more danger she faces, forcing her to face the darkest, innermost parts of her soul.

Stealing Breath is a darkly romantic tale of a young woman’s journey for love within the fearsome realm of the paranormal. It is a spellbinding read that mines the inner workings of the human character. Love, loss and the quest for redemption, these characters will echo in your mind long after you’ve put the book down.


List Price:
E-book: 7.99$
Print: 14.99$

ISBN: 978-1-937254-33-9

Orders:
CrescentMoonPress
Amazon.com
BN.com




There will also be one big giveaway (international as well) of a signed printed copy of Stealing Breath on this tour!


Praise for Stealing Breath
"STEALING BREATH stole mine! Compulsive, scary suspense balanced with a tender love story."
-Mary Balogh, New York Times Bestselling Author





About the Author

Joanne Brothwell lives in the country on the Canadian prairie with her family where her stories are inspired by the dead things that appear at her doorstep on a daily basis.

Find Joanne online at: 

www.joannebrothwell.com
Facebook: Author Joanne Brothwell
Twitter: @JoanneBrothwell
Contact: joanneborthwell@sasktel.net



I have started to read this book myself and am about 25% done and really enjoying it! I find it quite hard to put down. The book has adult characters that are still young, so it´s a nice change for all the teenage characters I´ve been reading about. I will be posting my review within a week!

Monday, October 15, 2012

PAPARAZZI PROJECT REVEAL





The Paparazzi Project by Kristina SpringerExpected pub: December 15, 2012
Livvie Peterson thought taking Interpersonal Communications her junior year would be an easy A. But when the first assignment is given, her world flips upside down. Here’s the deal: the class is assigned a six-week project and is split into three groups— Paparazzi, Tabloid, and Celebrities. The Paparazzi follow around the Celebrities taking pictures and grabbing any kind of quotes they can. The Celebrities try to navigate being tailed on a daily basis. And the Tabloid receives all the information collected by the Paparazzi and decides what makes the weekly summary report. Sounds harmless…and it’s all just pretend anyway, right? 

Livvie is assigned as Paparazzi and when she is matched up with the über -cute Chas Montgomery as her Tabloid boss she’s pretty sure things couldn’t get much better. Livvie’s uncanny ability to capture the Celebrities in compromising photos matched with Chas’s skill of exaggerating captions and editing the photos make them an unstoppable team. And the long hours working side by side with Chas aren’t a bad bonus. 

Livvie simultaneously launches an anonymous blog, leaking the class’ photos and stories on the Internet. Her rising follower number quickly becomes addicting and she possibly spills too much information online. Once she finds her own celebrity will she be able to give it back? And will Chas be gone before she ever has the chance to find out?

Goodreads Link:


Author Bio:
Kristina Springer is the author of THE ESPRESSOLOGIST, MY FAKE BOYFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS, JUST YOUR AVERAGE PRINCESS, and the forthcoming THE PAPARAZZI PROJECT (12/15/12). She has a Masters in Writing from DePaul University and she resides in a suburb of Chicago with her husband and children.

Author Links:

Sunday, October 14, 2012

PHANTOM BLOG TOUR



 
Title: Phantom
Author: Laura De Luca
Publisher: Pagan Writers Press
Pages: 270


Blurb
The “Phantom” was a musical phenomenon that Rebecca had always found enchanting. She had no idea that her life was about to mirror the play that was her obsession. When her high school drama club chooses “Phantom” as their annual production, Rebecca finds herself in the middle of an unlikely love triangle and the target of a sadistic stalker who uses the lines from the play as their calling card.

Rebecca lands the lead role of Christine, the opera diva, and like her character, she is torn between her two co-stars—Tom the surfer and basketball star who plays the lovable hero, and Justyn, the strangely appealing Goth who is more than realistic in the role of the tortured artist.

Almost immediately after casting, strange things start to happen both on and off the stage. Curtains fall. Mirrors are shattered. People are hurt in true phantom style. They all seem like accidents until Rebecca receives notes and phone calls that hint at something more sinister. Is Justyn bringing to life the twisted character of the phantom? Or in real life are the roles of the hero and the villain reversed? Rebecca doesn’t know who to trust, but she knows she’s running out of time as she gets closer and closer to opening night. Only when the mask is stripped away, will the twenty first century phantom finally be revealed.

Buy Links


Media Links



I have a review coming of this book very soon, I am over halfway through the book and really liking it!!








a Rafflecopter giveaway



About Laura DeLuca

Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart.  In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. Visit her on her websites at http://authorlauradeluca.blogspot.com or  http://newagemama.blogspot.com .